ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Almost one-quarter started taking the medication without a physician's recommendation.
A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reveals that around one in six older adults continue to take aspirin as their primary method of preventing cardiovascular disease, despite updated guidelines that no longer always recommend it. The study comes from a survey of more than 2,500 adults aged 50 to 80 conducted for the University of Michigan's National Poll on Healthy Aging.
In the past decade, guidelines for who should take aspirin for cardiovascular reasons have been revised to reduce the situations in which it's recommended. These changes were informed by newer research that highlighted significant bleeding risk associated with using aspirin for primary prevention—use by people with no history of heart attack or other heart disease.
The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association advise against routine primary prevention aspirin use after age 70. Similarly, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends not starting aspirin for primary prevention after age 60 and potentially stopping around age 75.
Despite these guidelines, the study found that almost one-quarter of aspirin users among older adults started taking the medication without a physician's recommendation. Additionally, 8% of older adults taking aspirin for cardiovascular prevention had not discussed their use with any health care provider.
Jordan K. Schaefer, M.D., senior author and clinical associate professor of internal medicine-hematology at University of Michigan Medical School, said: "For some patients without a history of cardiovascular disease, the benefits of taking aspirin for primary prevention may be offset by an increased risk of bleeding, especially as patients get older." He added, "It is even more concerning when patients are taking aspirin without consulting their physician. A provider can't help a patient understand the risks and benefits of aspirin if they are left in the dark."
The study also revealed insights into perceptions about aspirin use. While the vast majority of primary prevention users believed that aspirin reduces their risk of heart attack, just 68% agreed that it increases the risk of bleeding. Just over 80% of respondents said aspirin helped with general health, and 29% believed that aspirin reduced the risk of dementia.
Mark D. Edwards, M.D., first author and internal medicine resident at U-M Health, noted: "It appears that older adults taking aspirin may anticipate benefits beyond reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and may not fully understand the added risk of bleeding."
Additional findings showed that younger survey participants, between the ages of 50 and 69, were more than twice as likely to take aspirin for primary prevention compared to those aged 70 to 80 years. Women and those with a household income of $60,000 or greater were more likely to be primary prevention users of aspirin.
Geoffrey Barnes, M.D., M.Sc., co-author and associate professor of internal medicine-cardiology at U-M Medical School, emphasized: "Aspirin use is much more of a complex question than it once seemed, which is all the more reason why it is important to consult a health care provider when considering use." He advised, "I would recommend that anyone over 40 years old talk to their provider about their risk for cardiovascular disease, with careful consideration of family and health histories."
